From watching horror films to taking on the monsters of Shadow Over Southwark, a surprising amount of people are testing their limits and deliberately choosing activities that scare them. What is it about taking risks and trying something a little bit dangerous that appeals to us so much?

If you’re a Londoner, chances are you spend a lot of your working week in front of a computer screen, sat at a desk. Thinking of creative solutions can become a struggle when you’re chained to a keyboard. Arguably, immersive experiences and real-life games challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone and find new solutions, often in tense, time-sensitive situations.

In fact, in a school in East Sussex, Headteacher Mike Fairclough believes exposing students to risk is beneficial to education, helping children build confidence and learn to think on their feet. Facing the unexpected in a controlled environment means they’ll be better equipped when life eventually throws something at them that is out of the ordinary. And it appears to be working.

So it’s not too far a leap to see why adults, too, are choosing to push themselves, and live out an action film or video game plot for an hour or two in the middle of Central London on a weekend afternoon. And there are lots to choose from: survival experiences inspired by Bear Grylls, escape rooms that test your intellect and nerve, zombie days for Walking Dead enthusiasts and city-wide chases and scavenger hunts.

Fire Hazard players come from all walks of life, but for the duration of the game, they become spies, or treasure hunters, or speed freaks and clue crackers. Triggering a fight-or-flight reaction can be a welcome change to the everyday, and our players often end up picking up skills that will help them next time you're puzzling something over back at their desks.